NEW YORK, July 16, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WisdomTree (Nasdaq: WETF ), an exchange-traded fund ("ETF") sponsor and asset manager, today announced the WisdomTree Emerging Markets Local Debt Fund (ELD) has received a risk-based capital Designation of 1 (-) from the Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). This follows a previous NAIC 3 Designation of The WisdomTree Emerging Markets Corporate Bond Fund (EMCB) on April 16, 2013.
Rick Harper, WisdomTree Head of Currency and Fixed Income, said, "We are pleased to receive an NAIC 1 (-) Designation for the Fund. This Designation places ELD within the highest credit quality rating category. We believe the ratings of our fixed income funds will be instrumental in broadening the pool for assessment and consideration among insurance companies when managing their risk-based capital requirements."
The Securities Valuation Office of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners assigns credit quality designations to securities held by state-regulated insurance companies. NAIC Designations are opinions of credit quality that range from NAIC 1, the highest quality, to NAIC 6, the lowest quality. NAIC Designations allow fixed income ETFs to be reported as bonds and are used to set risk-based capital requirements.
Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Funds before investing. To obtain a prospectus containing this and other important information, call 866-909-9473 or visit wisdomtree.com. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.
There are risks associated with investing, including possible loss of principal. Foreign investing involves special risks, such as risk of loss from currency fluctuation or political or economic uncertainty. Investments in emerging, offshore or frontier markets are generally less liquid and less efficient than investments in developed markets and are subject to additional risks, such as risks of adverse governmental regulation and intervention or political developments. Derivative investments can be volatile and these investments may be less liquid than other securities, and more sensitive to the effects of varied economic conditions.
Fixed income investments are subject to interest rate risk; their value will normally decline as interest rates rise. In addition when interest rates fall income may decline. Fixed income investments are also subject to credit risk, the risk that the issuer of a bond will fail to pay interest and principal in a timely manner, or that negative perceptions of the issuer's ability to make such payments will cause the price of that bond to decline. Unlike typical exchange-traded funds, there is no index that the Fund attempts to track or replicate. Thus, the ability of the Fund to achieve its objective will depend on the effectiveness of the portfolio manager. Due to the investment strategy of this Fund it may make higher capital gain distributions than other ETFs.
WisdomTree Funds are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc.
Rick Harper is a registered representative of ALPS Distributors, Inc.
WIS005419 (7/2014)
NAIC 1 Designation is assigned to obligations exhibiting the highest quality. Credit risk is at its lowest and the issuer's credit profile is stable. This means that interest, principal or both will be paid in accordance with the contractual agreement and that repayment of principal is well protected.
The NAIC Designation was received on July 1, 2013 and is updated annually.
NAIC 3 Designation is assigned to obligations of medium quality. Credit risk is intermediate and the issuer's credit profile has elements of instability. These obligations exhibit speculative elements. This means that the likelihood that interest, principal or both will be paid in accordance with the contractual agreement is reasonable for the present, but an exposure to an adverse change in circumstances or economic, financial or business conditions would create an uncertainty about the issuer's capacity to make timely payments.
About WisdomTree
WisdomTree® is a New York-based exchange-traded fund ("ETF") sponsor and asset manager. WisdomTree currently offers 50 ETFs across Equities, Fixed Income, Currency Income and Alternatives asset classes. WisdomTree also licenses its indexes to third parties for proprietary products and promotes the use of WisdomTree ETFs in 401(k) plans. WisdomTree currently has approximately $30.4 billion in ETF assets under management. For more information, please visit www.wisdomtree.com or follow us on Twitter @WisdomTreeETFs .
WisdomTree is the marketing name for WisdomTree Investments, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. and WisdomTree Retirement Services, Inc. WisdomTree Asset Management, Inc. is a registered investment advisor and is the investment advisor to the WisdomTree Trust and the WisdomTree ETFs. The WisdomTree Trust is a registered open-end investment company. Each WisdomTree ETF is a series of the WisdomTree Trust. WisdomTree Retirement Services, Inc. supports the use of the WisdomTree ETFs in retirement plans by financial professionals.
WisdomTree Investments, Inc. Stuart Bell / Jessica Zaloom +1.917.267.3702 / +1.917.267.3735 /
